Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Bloemfontein Cost of Living Comparison Between Pretoria and Bloemfontein

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,377 per month in Pretoria vs $1,066 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Pretoria vs $1,690 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Pretoria vs $2,313 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Pretoria costs about 29% more than Bloemfontein, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Pretoria sits 1% above the global median, while Bloemfontein is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 R 152

$12.32 R 202

-24.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R 623

$42.44 R 695

-10.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 93.5

$7.48 R 123

-23.66%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 38.56

$2.14 R 35.06

9.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 17.35

$1.48 R 24.20

-28.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.45

$1.15 R 18.77

-23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.45

$2.55 R 41.82

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 52.1

$2.80 R 45.94

13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.18

$1.09 R 17.91

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.92

$1.05 R 17.18

10.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.24

$2.13 R 34.96

-13.15%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.66

$2.19 R 35.94

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 139

$7.73 R 127

9.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R 83.0

$4.98 R 81.5

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 R 119

$8.20 R 134

-11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.64

$2.03 R 33.20

-7.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.69

$1.59 R 26.12

2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.04

$1.76 R 28.87

3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.05

$1.59 R 25.97

3.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.41

$1.57 R 25.64

-24.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.20

$1.89 R 31.03

-34.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.28

$1.13 R 18.44

9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.28

$0.98 R 16.07

38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.5

$2.51 R 41.10

30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 82.3

$5.02 R 82.2

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 25.22

$1.77 R 29.05

-12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 31.51

$1.39 R 22.76

38.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 R 78.6

$0.95 R 15.51

405.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$179 R 2,924

$76.0 R 1,245

134.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.31

$1.14 R 18.64

-71.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 R 239

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 R 24.14

$1.40 R 22.89

5.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.5K R 598.5K

$37.8K R 618.4K

-3.22%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.0K R 556.9K

$29.8K R 488.6K

13.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$155 R 2,534

$80.1 R 1,313

93.04%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$37.47 R 614

$33.60 R 550

11.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 R 619

$32.14 R 526

17.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.74 R 520

$31.72 R 519

0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 R 177

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R 121

$4.98 R 81.6

48.80%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$263 R 4,312

$199 R 3,259

32.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,086 R 132.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 891

$61.9 R 1,013

-12.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 R 540

$42.90 R 703

-23.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 R 1,525

$136 R 2,234

-31.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 R 1,411

$116 R 1,897

-25.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 R 7,708

$320 R 5,248

46.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,840

$290 R 4,757

43.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 R 16.5K

$513 R 8,399

96.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.5K

$543 R 8,902

40.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$900 R 14.7K

$499 R 8,180

80.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$713 R 11.7K

$652 R 10.7K

9.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,447 R 23.7K

$1,332 R 21.8K

8.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.13

-6.51%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Pretoria: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bloemfontein: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Pretoria versus $320 in Bloemfontein. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Pretoria, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Pretoria versus $42.00 in Bloemfontein. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Pretoria vs $193 in Bloemfontein – so Bloemfontein wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pretoria vs Bloemfontein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pretoria costs about 29% more than Bloemfontein, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,066 per month in Pretoria and $1,599 in Bloemfontein. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Pretoria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Pretoria and $42.00 in Bloemfontein. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bloemfontein, where all-in costs run around $1,066, than in Pretoria at $1,377. In Bloemfontein it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pretoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bloemfontein – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bloemfontein. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pretoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.